Woody Rock

James Green (born 10 September 1976; Baltimore, Maryland), better known by his stage name Woody Rock, is an African-American singer, dancer, and musician. He is most widely recognised as a founding member of the multi-platinum R&B group Dru Hill. Within the group, his specialisation as a vocalist, songwriter, and musician heavily shaped their signature sound, combining gospel-infused melodies with contemporary urban arrangements.

Along with group member Scola, he served as the primary songwriter during Dru Hill's foundational early years. Over the course of his career, he has successfully transitioned between the mainstream R&B landscape and the gospel music industry, establishing himself as a versatile and distinctive vocal talent. Later in his career, he expanded his musical reach by contributing vocals to DJ Blaqstarr's Supastarr EP, which was released through DJ and producer Diplo's Mad Decent record label.

Early Life

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Green grew up in a devoutly Christian family that provided a strong religious and musical foundation. His early childhood was deeply influenced by gospel music and church choir traditions, which helped cultivate his distinctively soulful and resonant singing voice.

During his youth, his father affectionately gave him the nickname "Woody" because he believed the young boy closely resembled the classic Woody Woodpecker cartoon character—an alias that would eventually follow him into his professional career. Widely regarded by peers and fans as the most religious member of Dru Hill, Green frequently struggled with internal conflicts as the group transitioned away from its gospel roots into secular music.

While establishing his early musical foundations locally, he formed close bonds with neighborhood friends in Baltimore, which ultimately led to the creation of their musical group in 1992, named Dru Hill in honour of the city's landmark Druid Hill Park.

Career

As an integral member of Dru Hill, Green achieved massive commercial success during the late 1990s as the group became a dominant force in mainstream R&B. He contributed his writing talents and sang lead vocals on several of the group's notable tracks, including "5 Steps", "April Showers", and "Angel". Dru Hill's self-titled 1996 debut album and their 1998 follow-up, Enter the Dru, generated multiple major hits, including the chart-topping singles "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise", and "How Deep Is Your Love".

Despite this immense mainstream success, Green increasingly felt uneasy about leaving gospel music behind. A traumatic incident on tour in Paris, France, where the group had to dodge gunshots, ultimately convinced him to leave the band. He abruptly quit the group on the set of the music video shoot for "Wild Wild West", a Will Smith single which featured Dru Hill as guest vocalists.

Though Dru Hill initially attempted to move forward as a trio, the members decided they needed Green back in the lineup. The newly reorganised Island Def Jam Records established the Dru World Order project, which was designed to allow each member to record a solo project before cutting the next group album in November 2000.

Green recorded his solo debut, Soul Music, but the project suffered repeated release delays by Def Jam and Def Soul due to the runaway commercial success of bandmate Sisqó's Unleash the Dragon album and its accompanying singles. Green eventually secured a release from his Def Jam solo contract and issued Soul Music via Kirk Franklin's Gospocentric Records in May 2002. The album achieved moderate success in the gospel music community, peaking at number five on the Billboard gospel charts.

True to a lasting personal promise made among the bandmates to support each other's individual ventures, his Dru Hill partners reunited to collaborate with him on the album track "My Homey", and the project also featured a high-profile guest collaboration with the contemporary gospel duo Mary Mary.

Green subsequently returned to Def Soul to officially re-join Dru Hill for the Dru World Order LP. His contributions to that album included "My Angel", a track dedicated to his late mother, which immediately preceded the gospel-focused song "How Could You".

Outside of his primary band, Green joined forces with Dru Hill member Larry "Jazz" Anthony's brother, Marcus Anthony, and fellow member Scola to form a side group called 3 Da Hardway. The trio completed an overseas tour before a temporary falling out occurred between Green and Scola, which was subsequently resolved.

Personal Life

Green has maintained a relatively private personal life outside his public career, focusing much of his energy on his deep-rooted faith and community foundations. His early departure from the height of mainstream R&B stardom was widely noted as a personal and spiritual choice to dedicate his musical talents to the praise of God rather than commercial secular success.

His solo release, Soul Music, was deeply personal, dedicated entirely to the memory of his mother, who had tragically died of liver disease the previous year. The record featured a moving cover version of her absolute favourite gospel song, "I Won't Complain".

Through both his solo gospel recordings and his foundational work with Dru Hill, his artistic legacy remains firmly tied to his ability to bridge the gap between sacred church melodies and modern urban rhythms. His contributions continue to be highly regarded by fans and peers within the R&B and gospel communities as a testament to vocal dedication and artistic authenticity.